What is a trade show booth (stall)?

A booth — commonly called a stall in India — is the floor space an exhibitor occupies. It is sold by area, in square metres, and priced by both size and position.

Booth types by open sides

Shell scheme vs raw space

Shell scheme is a built booth supplied by the organiser: walls, fascia with your name, basic lighting, a power point, sometimes furniture. You arrive and set up your display. Cheapest and simplest, and constrained — you cannot usually alter the structure.

Raw space (space-only) is bare floor. You build whatever you want, subject to height limits and organiser approval, and you pay for the build. Every custom booth you have admired at a show was raw space.

What to check before booking

• Ceiling and rigging height limits, and whether hanging signage is allowed
• Whether power, internet and rigging are included or ordered separately
• The floor plan around you — entrances, catering, toilets, anchor exhibitors
• Build-up and dismantle windows, which are frequently tighter than they look

What people get wrong

Booking on price alone. The cheapest booth is usually cheap because of where it is.

Assuming shell scheme includes furniture. Often it does not, and on-site hire prices are not gentle.

Forgetting height restrictions. A build that violates them gets modified on site, at your cost.

On Bidancer

Organisers lay out the floor and allocate booths from a plan, and exhibitors see what they are booking rather than a line on a price list.